Machine for making compresses



April 28, 1931.

W. C. HENDERSON MACHINE FOR MAKING GOMPRESSES Filed Nov. 7; 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 28, 1 31- w. c. HENDERSON MACHINE FOR MAKING COMPRESSES Filed Nov-. 7, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR flea/L10. 1%

W. C. HENDERSON MACHINE FOR MAKING COMPRESSES April 28, 1931.

Filed Nov. '7, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 w a. P

WITNESS.

Ala

Iva-14 Patented Apr. 28, 1931 UNITED STATES T OFFICE WALTER C. HENDERSON, GF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO MINE SAFETY APPLIANCES COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVAE'IA, A. CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA MACHINE FOR MAKING COMPRESSES Application filed November 7, 1928. Serial No. 317,844.

The invention relates to a machine for manufacturing surgical compresses, especially an adhesive type which comprises a pad of absorbent material mounted upon a strip of adhesive tape and having a protective covering of shield cloth overlying the exposed surfaces of both the adhesive tape and the absorbent material.

The object of the invention is to provide a machine for automatically manufacturing uniformly shaped adhesive compresses of the above described character at a relatively high speed and at a low cost.

More especially itis an object of the invention to provide a compress manufacturing machine for automatically assembling continuous strips of medically treated absorbent compress material, adhesive tape, and shield cloth, and for cutting the assembled strips into compresses of a predetermined length. V

Other objects will become apparent and a better understanding of the invention will be had when the following detailed description is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a machine embodying the preferred form of the invention; Fig. 2 a top plan view of the machine with a portion of the upper structure cut away; Fig. 3 an elevation to enlarged scale of the machine as viewed from the. side opposite to that shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 a sectional view taken on the line IVIV, Fig. 2; Fig. 5 a horizontal sectional view through the machine on the line VV, Fig. 3; and Fig. 6 an end view of a detail of construction presently to be explained.

In the machine provided according to this invention, continuous strips of adhesive tape, absorbent material and shield clothar drawn from suitable supplies thereof, and, after being placed in their proper relative positions, are pressed together to form a continuous strip of compresses which is severed into individual compresses. Preferably, a reel of adhesive tape is mounted below a table forming a part of the machine frame, and reels of absorbent material and shield cloth are mounted above the table, the absorbent performed, they are preferably done intermittently and in alternation, equal lengths of the several strips being intermittently withdrawn from their several reels, and the l tape being punched and the assembled strips cut during the intervals between the withdrawal of the strips from their reels.

Having reference to the illustrative embodiment of the invention, the top of a frame or table 1 is provided with brackets 2, 3 and 4 in which reels 5, 6 and 7, re-

spectively, are rotatably and removably mounted. Upon reel 5, which is mounted in the outer central portion of bracket 2, there is wound a continuous strip 8 of absorbent material, and upon reels 6 and 7, which are arranged in staggered relation on opposite sides of the center of the table, there are wound continuous strips of shield cloth, such as muslin or crinoline gauze used to cover and protect the compress. A bracket 9 is provided below the top of table 1, and in it there is removably mounted a reel 11 carrying a continuous strip 12 of adhesive tape; In withdrawing tape 12 for its assembly with the several strips, it is passed over a roll 13 mounted'in a bracket 14, and'from thence it is carried forward over a support 15, a roll 16, upwardly to the level of the table top and over an idler roll 17. From idler roll 17 it is passed forwardly between a pair of die plates 18 and 19 (Fig. 4:), thence along the table and under an assembly roll 21 which is preferably faced with a suitable yieldable cover, such as rubber.

To position absorbent strip 8 in the center of tape 12 as the former is unwound from. reel 5, it is passed successively under idler rolls 22 and 23, through a slot 24 in a guide frame (Fig. 4), over an idler roll 26, downwardly through a slot 27 in the center of a guide plate 28, and around and under assembly roll 21 onto the center of the adhesive side of tape 12 disposed thereunder. That shield cloth strips 29 and 30 wound upon reels 6 and 7 may be assembledupon the adhesive tape with each covering the exposed adhering surface of the tape on one side of the strip of absorbentmaterial, and with their inner edges overlapping each other on the absorbent material, strip 29 is passed under idler roll 23, through aslot 31 provided in guide frame 25, over idler roll 26, downwardly through a slot 32 in guide plate 28, and then around and under assem bly roll 21 onto the adhesive tape, and strip 30'is passed from roll 7 through a slot 33 in the upper end of guide member 25, over idler roll 26, down through a guide slot 34 in guide plate 28, and around assembly roll 21 and onto the adhesive tape. Thus the absorbent material and strips of shield cloth are effectively mounted upon the adhesive tape, but it will be understood that they maybe guided and assembled in other ways,

After the strips and tape are assembled beneath roll 21 they pass under, and are pressed together by, a pair of driven drag rolls 35 and 36 provided at their opposite ends with knurled portions 37, the space between the knurling being suflicient to receive the strip of absorbent material atthe center of the adhesive tape. Upon leaving drag rolls 35 and 36, the assembled strip is passed through a pair of pinch rolls38 and 39 which maintain it in alignment as it leaves the drag rolls, and beyond these rolls the strip passes over a shear opening 41 provided in the frame of the machine.

-Above opening 41 a shear 42 is adjustably attached by screws 45and 46 to a face plate 43 vconnected to the bottom of a reciprocating member 44. Shear 42is adaptedto pass down into opening 41 on each down stroke of member 44, and thereby sever the'strip extending beyond pinch rolls 38 and 39. To prevent the assembled strip from being pulled out of shape when the shearing operation takes place a pinch block 47 is mounted upon a shaf" 48 slidably carriedin plate 43, and for urging this block downwardly a helical spring'49 is interposed "between it and plate 43. Normally, block 47 projects slightly below shear 42, as shown in Fig. 4, and accordingly engages the assembled strip before it is engaged by shear 42, thereby preventing the strip from getting out of alignment-during each shearing operation.

In order to provide the adhesive tape with ventilating perforations, a punch 51 is suitly mounted in the frame in alignment with die plates 18 and 19. For actuating the punch, one end of a pivotally mounted .ingthe latter. Attached to rocker arm 52 is pivotally connected at 53 to the lower end of the punch, and its other end is pivotally connected at 55 to the lower end of a rod 56 which extends upwardly through the frame for enegagement by reciprocating member 44 upon each of its downward strokes. An adjusting screw 57 is threaded in the upper end of rod 56 for engagement by face plate 43 to move arm 52 .to force punch '51 upwardly through die plates 18 and 19 and through the adhesive tape. By means of a spring 58surrounding rod-56 and enclosed in a casing 59, rocker arm 52 is normally urged to maintain punch 51 in its lower position below die plates 18 and 19, the lower end of spring 58 resting upona portion 61 of the machine frame, and its upper end engaging a disk 62 attached by a set screw 63 to rod 56. It will be readily seen that by having the shear and punch actuated in the manner described that the punching and shearing operations take place simultaneously on the down stroke of 'member 44.

fW ile the moving or driven elements of the machine may be actuated in various ways, in the present machine gear wheels are used for transmitting the driving power, a reciprocatory type of driving mechanism being' employed. Although any suitable type of reciprocatory driving device may be utilized, a punch press or stamping mill type of machine is here illustrated for actuatng the gear wheels, shear andpunch. This machine comprises a frame 71 (Fig. 1), a rotot'a'ble shaft 72 provided with an eccentric or a crank 73, a power driven wheel 74 .mounted on one end of shaft 72, a reciprocating element 44 attached to andoperated by crank 73, and a drive rod 76 connected by means of an adjustable eccentric attachment 77 (Fig. 6) to the end of shaft 72. Drive rod 7 6 is in turn connected through adjustableconnecting links 78 and 79 toean extension 81 for'transmitting power to the assembly mechanism of the machine. The

lower end of extension 81 is pivotally connected at 82 to an arm 83 extending laterally from .a rack 84 which meshes with a gear wheel 85 connected to one end of a shaft .86 passing through the center of the lower drag roll 36, and upon which the drag roll is loosely mounted. Surrounding the other end of shaft 86 a ratchet wheel 87 is rigidly secured to drag roll 36, the ratchet wheel being driven by an arm 88 attached to shaft 86 by a key 89, and provided at its outerend with a pawl 91 which engages the teeth of wheel 87 when the arm is actuated in a clockwise direction as viewed inFig. 3.

Between wheel 87 and drag roll 36, and rigidly afiixed to the latter, is a gear wheel .92 which meshes with a gear wheel 93 rigidly attached to drag roll 35 for rotatroll 35is agear the; periphery of a ratchet wheel secured to'roll' 16, whereby theupward move- 13. Consequently,

wheel 94 meshing with an idler gear wheel 95 supported in a bracket'96 adjustably-attached by'means of a screw'bolt 97 -to the frame of the machine. Idler 95 meshes also witha gear wheeli99 rigidly attached to as: sembly roll 21 for rotating it. Adjacent to gear wheels-93 and-94 and connected rigidly therewith is anothergear wheel 100 which meshes with a gear wheel 101 meshingwith a gear wheel 102connected to pinch roll 38 for rotating the pinch rolls, Jpinch roll-39 having a gear wheel -103'connected to it which meshes wi-tlrgea-r wheel 102. By arranging the ratchet and gear wheels in the manner described, with every downward movement of rack 84 the dragrolls 35 and 36 and pinch rolls 38 and 39 are operated in synchronism to causethe various strips of material and the assembled-strip to be moved at the same speed.-

Rolls 13 'and'16 are preferably driven to assist in unreeling the-adhesive tape so that it will not be unduly stretched. F or this purpose:a11-arm-105 (Fig. 1) is rigidly secured to the end ofshaft'86 adjacent to gear wheel 85, and a rod 106 connects the outer endof this arm to a rockerarm 108 pivotally mounted on the: shaft of roll 16. On the upper end of this rocker'arm there is provided a pawl 109'adapted to engage teeth on 111 rigidly ment of rack 84 Y and the consequent upward movement of drivearm l05 causes the lower end or" rocker arm; 108 to move in the direction of the line oftravel of tape 12 and thereby causes roll 16 to rotate in-a direction to-ipull, or advance the tape. Between the lowerend of rocker-arm 108 and a; second rocker arm 114 shaft of roll 13, a second 'driverod 112 is pivotally connected- -Pivotally mounted on the upper end of arm 114 there isa pawl 115 adapted to engage teeth on 1 a ratchet wheel 116 rigidly attached to roll with the movements of theperiphery of arms 105 and 108, arm 114 is'also rocked to cause roll 13 to be actuated at the same speed and in the same direction as roll 16 to pull the adhesive tape from the reel 11. To facilitate the movement of the adhesive tape over table 1, it is passed overa blockof paratfine 117,or other lubricant, attached to support 15.

' To apply variable but adequate .pressure between drag rolls 35 and 36,, the upper roll is mounted in a movable bearing 131 urged downwardly by -a spring 132 to force it against the lower roll .36. :This spring sur-v rounds a'shaft 133, with one end engaging a block 134 (Fig. 3) provided on the lower end of shaft 133, and its other end engaging a removable plate 135 provided with an opening136throughwhich rod 133 passes.

The. upper'end-of rod 133 is threaded :tor the receptacle.

'material 8, is mounted 'pivotally mounted on the r reception of an adjusting nut 137 which regulates the pressure of-spring 132 against bearing 131. To lock nut 137 in place, an

eccentric type of locking cam 138 is provided, preferably in the form of a lever urged into locking-engagement with the nut by rotating it'about 1ts pivot.

To prevent thepieces of adhesive'tape re- -moved by punch 51 from falling uponthe tapeasthe strips are assembled,-a shield 141 ismounted above die plate 18 and isprovided at its ends with openings for an operator to readilyremove the punchings. -rFor carrying the assembled compresses away from the machine after they ered by shear 42, a chute 142 is attached to the lower end o t-opening 41, through which the compresses are carried to any suitable machine, a reel 5, strip. of absorbent in bracket .2, and reels (Sand 7, wound with continuous strips of shield cloth'29 and 30, are mounted in In the operation of the wound With a continuous brackets 4 and 5, all of which brackets eX-' tend upwardly from the' top ottable 1. These strips are threaded through and around the several I guides and rollers as shown in Fig. 1, and areufinallypassed be- On bracketit). extending below table 1 there is removably.

tween drag rolls 35 "and 36.

mounted a reel 11 on which there s wound a continuous stripof adhesive tape 12wh1ch 1S threaded around and through the several rollers and guidesshown inFig. 1 until it is engaged by these drag rolls. Beneath assembly roll 21 the strip of absorbent material8 adhesive side of tape 12, and guard strips 29 and 30 are pressed upon the edges otthe tape with their adjacent edges overlapping and protecting the absorbent material.

The movements of the several drivenparts of the machine are intermittent, being effected by and in coordination with the -re-- ciprocation of member 44 (Fig.1). {The driving-connections are such that upon the upward stroke of this member -the-'dragand other driven rolls are rotated equal peripheral amounts to withdraw equal lengths 0t the sev'eralstr'ips upon the table beneath Within the scope of the appended claims, the

have been sevthe principle and l is pressed upon the center of the exposed invention may be practiced otherwise than as illustrated and described.

I claim: 7

1. A machine for making adhesive compresses, comprising means for supplying continuous strips of adhesive tape, absorbent material and shield cloth, means for assembling both the absorbent material and shield cloth in strip form upon the adhesive tape, and means for cutting the'assembled strip into predetermined lengths to form compresses. Y

2. A machine for making adhesive compresses, comprising means for supplying continuous strips of adhesive tape, absorbent material and shield cloth, said absorbent material being narrower in width than the tape, means for positioning the absorbent material in the center of the adhesive tape and covering it and the exposed adhering surface of the tape with the shield cloth, means for perforating the portion of the tape covered by the absorbent material before the absorbent material is placed thereon, and means for cutting the assembled strip into predetermined lengths to form compresses.

8. A machine for making adhesive compresses, comprising means for supplying continuous strips of adhesive tape, absorbent material and shield cloth, said absorbent material being narrower in width than said tape, means for placing the absorbent material in the center of the tape, means for placing a strip of shield cloth on the exposed adhering surface of the tape on each side of the absorbent material, the inner edges of said strip of shield cloth being overlapped in the center of the strip, means for pressing the strip together, means for cutting perforations in the portion of the adhesive tape covered by the absorbent material before said material is placed on the tape, and means for cutting the assembled strip into predetermined lengths.

4:. A machine for making adhesive compresses, comprising means for supplying a continuous strip of adhesive tape, means for supplying a continuous strip of absorbent for assembling them so material narrower hesive tape, means for supplying two strips of shield cloth, all adapted to be passed progressively through the machine, means that the absorbent material is positioned in the center of the tape and the shield cloth covers the exposed edges of the adhesive tape and the absorbent material in the center of the tape, the two free ends of the strips of shield cloth overlapping each other in the center of the strip,

means for making at spaced intervals perforations in the portion of the adhesive tape to be covered by the absorbent material before said material is attached to it, means for pressing the strips of absorbent material the spaced perforations in presses, comprising a frame the table, means assembling said strips in width than the ad-' predetermined lengths to form the compresses, the length of each being such that the adhesive tape are disposed in the center of each compress.

5. A machine for making adhesive comincluding a table, reels carrying continuous strips of absorbent material and shield cloth mounted above the table, a reel-carrying a continuous strip of adhesive tape mounted below for assembling the various materials with the absorbent material positioned in the center of the adhesive tape and the shield cloth covering both the absorbent material and the exposed surface of the adhesive tape, means for punching holes at spaced intervals in the center of the adhesive tape before the other material is assembled thereon, and means for cutting the assembled strip into compresses of a predetermined length.

6. A machine for making adhesive compresses, comprising a supporting frame having means mounted thereon for supplying continuous strips of absorbent material, shield material and adhesive tape, means for assembling said strips together with the absorbent material in strip form in the center of the adhesive tape and the shield cloth in strip form covering both the exposed surface of the adhesive tape and the absorbent material, power operable reciprocating means for intermittently assembling and moving said materials through the machine, and means operable during the intermissions between the movement of saidmaterials for severing the assembled strip.

7 A machine for making adhesive compresses comprising a supporting frame upon which are mounted means for continuously supplying strips of absorbent material, shield cloth and adhesive tape, means'for together with the absorbent material in the center of the tape and the shield material covering both the adhesive tape and absorbent material, power operable reciprocating means for intermittentlyassembling and moving said materials through the machine, means operable during the intermissions between the movement -of the material for punching holes in the reels rotatably supported in said frame, said 1 reels having continuous strips of absorbent material, shield material and adhesive tape respectively wound thereon, means for assembling said strips with the absorbent material disposed in the center of the adhesive tape and the shield material covering both the absorbent material and the exposed surface of the adhesive tape, pawl and ratchet mechanism for intermittently actuating said assembly means, and means operable in alternation with said pawl and ratchet mechanism for cutting the assembled strip into compresses and for punching the tape prior to its assembly with the other strip.

9. A machine for presses, comprising means for supplying strips of adhesive tape, absorbent material and shield cloth, said absorbent material being narrower in width than the tape, means for positioning the absorbent material in strip form in the center of the adhesive tape and for placing the shield cloth over the absorbent material and the exposed adhering surface of the tape at the sides thereof, and means for pressing the stri of absorbent material and the shield cloth in place on the strip of adhesive tape.

10. A machine for making adhesive compresses, comprising means for supplying in superposed relationship a strip of adhesive tape, a strip of absorbent material and two strips of shield cloth, said strip of absorbent material being narrower in width than the strip of adhesive tape, means for positioning the strip of absorbent material in the center of the adhesive tape and for positioning one of the strips of shield cloth on the exposed adhering surface of the tape at each side of the absorbent material with their inner edges overlapping each other above the strip of absorbent material, means for pressing the strips of material together to cause the absorbent material and the outer edges of the shield strips to adhere to the tape, and means for cutting the assembled strip in predetermined lengths.

In testimony whereof, I sign my name.

WALTER O. HENDERSON.

making adhesive com- 

